Cracks in the Universe
by LadyRainbow
Summary: Sequel to "Trip and the Terrific TARDIS". Trip realizes that all of space and time is unraveling and must trace the problem to its source. This time, he needs the help of a certain Doctor...and a certain Enterprise crew. Multiple Doctors, multiple companions. Mostly in the Star Trek Enterprise universe, with some Doctor Who timey-wimey. Please read and review! Thanks!
1. An Addition to the Reed Family

Here it is (finally): the sequel to "Trip and the Terrific Tardis!" Sorry it's taken this long...had some plot issues, a lot of Real Life issues, and some laptop issues. I'll try to update regularly.

This takes place in the same universe as "Trip and the Terrific TARDIS". Trip and T'Pol are bondmates, Malcolm and Hoshi are married. Trip and Malcolm retain the memories of their travels through time, as well as of the Doctor, Rose, Jack, Donna and Company.

The cracks in Series 6 of Doctor Who affects many universes, including Trip Tucker's. Suddenly, time doesn't make sense. The Doctor needs a lot of help, so who's he going to call? Again, this features multiple Doctors and Companions, including Clara Oswin Oswald ("Souffle Girl"). This time, Trip also meets the three Doctors he **didn't actually meet** in "TatTT". Which three didn't he meet last time?

Star Trek Enterprise is owned by CBS/Paramount. Doctor Who and Torchwood are owned by the BBC. No infringement meant...I'm just the favorite aunt that takes the characters on an adventure once in a while.

**Relative Time**

**September 2, 2156**

**Enterprise NX-01**

"Bridge to Engineering."

Trip jumped as if he'd been shot, to the great amusement of his engine room staff. He caught Rostov's wide grin, and even Kelby cracked a smile. He shook his head and hit the comm button with his thumb. "Tucker."

"Trip, you'd better get up here," replied Captain Jonathan Archer. "There's an important call you don't want to miss."

"On my way, Cap'n." Trip turned and nodded at a highly amused Anna Hess. "You got the store, Anna. I might be a while."

Hess grinned at his enthusiasm and waved him off. "Not a problem, Boss. Tell 'em we want pictures. Lots of pictures."

It took two minutes for him to reach the Bridge, beating his best time by forty-five seconds. He nearly collided with the lift doors on his way out. Captain Archer glanced over his shoulder at him with a bright grin. Trip glanced at Commander T'Pol, who sat at her usual position at the science station. The Vulcan's expression was calm and serene, but her eyes twinkled. He could feel her amusement through their mental bond, though there was a hint of unease underneath it.

"You all right?" he asked her in a low tone.

"I am...fine," she answered in the same manner, "although I admit to some concern as to the nature of this call."

"I'm sure everythin's all right. They would've let us know if it wasn't." Trip reached out and soothed the long-familiar ache in their souls. T'Pol sent a wordless expression of thanks.

No one else noticed the brief lapse of emotion. Lieutenant Travis Mayweather's megawatt smile lit up the entire Bridge, while Doctor Phlox's stretched the limits of his face.

"I think we're all here now," Archer said. He nodded at the communications officer. "Put them through."

Trip had known this was coming, but the image still stunned him. He blinked at the genuine joy radiating from Malcolm Reed. The Armory Officer's mouth was turned up in a small grin as he laid a hand on his wife's shoulder. Hoshi Sato-Reed held a squirming bundle in her arms. Sunlight streamed in from the open window at their right, along with the view of the Pacific Ocean.

He heard the faintest of sighs from T'Pol and all the tension left him.

"Captain," Malcolm greeted.

Captain Archer's eyes lit up with genuine pleasure at the sight. "Congratulations, you two. I'm sure this was quite an unexpected birthday present for you, Malcolm."

"It definitely was, Captain. She arrived this morning, four weeks early. Obviously, she inherited my father's sense of timing," Malcolm said with a rueful expression. He reached down and stroked his daughter's cheek. "She's already making her presence known. Taking command of the situation, whatever it is, and acting adorable while doing it."

Trip hid a smirk. _Eight months almost to the day. I bet it was a memorable New Year's celebration for Hoshi and Malcolm. _Then again, it had been a memorable New Year's Eve for a few people. Again, he felt T'Pol's unspoken agreement.

"I'm sure she is," Archer replied. "Are you doing okay, Hoshi?"

She nodded, although Trip noticed she hid a wince. "Like Malcolm said, she just couldn't wait to come out and meet everyone." A little fist burst out of the tightly swaddled blanket and waved around in the air. The gesture brought laughter all over the Bridge.

"Okay, we know which side she got that from," Trip teased.

Malcolm pulled a face, but he only shook his head and tucked the little arm back into its place. "That's Uncle Trip, love. Be careful around him; he'll just get you into trouble."

"Hey, I just met her a minute ago! How can I get her into trouble from halfway across the sector?"

"I'm sure you could find a way, if you put your mind to it, Mister Tucker."

Phlox took a step forward and raised his voice. "I take it there are no complications from your daughter arriving a month early?"

Hoshi shook her head. "No, Phlox, everything went well. She's perfect."

T'Pol, silent until now, asked, "Have you selected a name?"

Hoshi returned the smile and drew her attention to the squirming bundle in her arms. "We decided to name her after both Malcolm's and my grandmothers. Elizabeth Yoshiko Reed, LisBeth for short."

Trip saw the knowing pride in his friend's eyes and nodded slightly. _Elizabeth Yoshiko Reed. I wonder whose idea that was,_ Trip thought. The past ten months had been a whirlwind, just as the Doctor had hinted. This was only one result.

Again, Trip glanced at T'Pol, and felt her amusement through their mental link, but it was tinged with regret. _Baby Elizabeth. _He automatically reached out again and soothed the ache. At least the daughter of their best friends would carry on the memory of their own lost daughter.

"She's beautiful, Hoshi, just like her mama."

"Thanks, Trip."

"Anna and the others are clamoring for pictures of LisBeth, you know."

"No problem, we'll send some on the next upload to Echo Two."

Archer chuckled and shook his head. "You've got plenty of leave time, Malcolm, so don't worry about us. We'll still be here when you get back. And Hoshi...I'll be interested to hear about your new teaching position at Stanford, all right?"

"I'll definitely keep you updated, sir. I go back on part-time status next month, but the class rosters are already looking interesting." Hoshi smiled again and shifted little Elizabeth in her arms. She pointed her chin at the various decorations and presents that adorned the walls of the hospital room. "My students sent us little gifts for LisBeth...it's appreciated, but a bit overwhelming."

Trip stifled a smile. Teddy bears, balloons, baby supplies,...and he noticed a little cot just within the screen's pickup. It looked old, with circular designs etched upon it and a star-and-planet mobile firmly attached to its cover. Malcolm gave him a subtle nod to confirm Trip's thoughts.

_The Doctor gave them a present too. That's really nice of him. I wonder if it's a family heirloom...it looks old enough to be one. I wonder if any version of him was a parent at one time. Probably. _Trip's smile widened at the thought of Ears-and-Leather or Suit-and-Sneakers-or Tweed, Hobo, Smoking Jacket, Bug-Eyed, Edwardian Man, or even the Cricketer-as a father.

LisBeth squirmed, then began to whine softly. Hoshi grimaced and said, "I think she's getting hungry again."

"We won't keep you, then. Take care of yourself and the little one, and we'll talk to both of you soon. And Malcolm...happy birthday, to both of you."

"Thank you, Captain. We'll keep in touch, Reed, out."

The viewscreen reverted back into a starfield. Archer took a deep breath, let it out, then sat back down in his command chair. "Time really does fly by, doesn't it?" he asked, to no one in particular.

"Sure does, Cap'n," Trip replied. "Part of me still can't believe Malcolm and Hoshi are parents."

"I think their daughter looks more like Hoshi," Travis remarked from the helm, "from what little you could see under the swaddling blanket."

"I believe that it is difficult to ascertain the child's permanent features only hours after birth," T'Pol said mildly, "although in some cases...it is possible to make an educated guess."

"Can you imagine her toting a phase pistol like her daddy?" Trip put in with a laugh. "I can."

T'Pol turned to him with a raised eyebrow as chuckles broke out around the bridge. Trip couldn't be certain, but he thought he heard Archer mutter under his breath, "God help us."

Phlox shook his head. "As a parent myself, I can safely say that Lieutenant Commander Reed and Lieutenant Sato have embarked on a wonderful adventure."

Trip glanced at him and said, "Yeah, you'd know, wouldn't you, Doc?"

"After raising five children, I do indeed, and the experience is different each time," Phlox answered. He inclined his head in reply. "Commander Tucker, that reminds me...I'd like to talk with you at your earliest convenience."

Trip felt T'Pol's spike of curiosity from across the Bridge, but aloud he said, "Sure, Doc. I go on duty in a couple of minutes, but I can stop by Sickbay at the end of my shift."

"Excellent. Now if you all would excuse me, I have matters to attend to in Sickbay."

Archer waved a hand. "Go ahead, Phlox. We'll see you later."

Trip watched the Denobulan disappear into the lift. "Wonder what that's all about."

"You've already taken your physical, haven't you?"

"Done and over with, Cap'n, without a whole lot of fuss. Decided to just get it taken care of until next year. I guess I'll find out what's goin' on when I get off-shift."

"All right, Trip. We'll see you later."

He reached over and squeezed T'Pol's arm on his way off the Bridge. Vulcans disliked physical contact as a rule, but T'Pol didn't seem to mind the gesture. She nodded to him and returned to her sensor analysis. He felt her brief sense of relief and smiled as the lift doors closed.

* * *

An hour later, Trip heard the comm whistle go off again. He sighed and told Rostov, "Hang on, I'll be right back. Seems like it's gonna be one of those days."

"Yeah. Not to worry, Boss. We've got a few minutes to figure out what's going on with the warp drive assembly." Rostov tapped the status screen. "You want me to go ahead and start the maintenance cycle?"

"As long as we don't end up needin' maximum warp anytime soon. Lemme check with the Bridge first." He tapped the comm for the second time that day. "Tucker."

"Commander, we have received a distress call from the _Columbia_. Prepare to go to maximum warp as soon as possible." T'Pol's voice was cool and collected, but there was an odd timbre to it.

"_Columbia_'s in trouble? Gimme a minute and you'll have warp. Tucker out." He tapped the button and looked over at Rostov. "It's good we didn't start that maintenance cycle, Mike."

Rostov gave an exaggerated sigh and rolled his eyes. "Happens every time. That's okay, Commander, we can do it later. We'll just have to keep an eye on the matter/antimatter matrix."

Trip nodded. "I'll monitor the matrix from here; take Kristofferson and Wright and use the secondary screens."

"Got it, Commander."

Trip narrowed his eyes as he watched the status lights all light up green, then he tapped the comm again. "Tucker to the Bridge. You've got warp whenever you need it."

"Thank you, Commander Tucker," T'Pol answered. "Warp Five, Lieutenant Mayweather."

They all felt the thrum of contained power as _Enterprise_ jumped to warp. Trip concentrated on the warp drive matrix and pushed back a surge of concern for Captain Hernandez and the _Columbia_. Although he only spent a couple of weeks on _Columbia_, he still kept in touch with some of his former crewmates there. If he felt this way, then what was Jon Archer feeling, with Erika Hernandez in some sort of trouble?

He shook his head to clear it. _No use borrowing trouble until it gets here. For all we know, Erika might have whatever it is under control by the time we get there._

The readouts on his screen remained constant. Trip pressed a hand to the console and took comfort in the steady vibrations of the engine. Those vibrations went through him and calmed his fears. A slight sense of nausea suddenly came over him, and he dropped his hand.

The com whistle went off a third time.

"What the hell-?" He looked up from the status screen and suddenly realized where he was. It was an engine room, a twin to _Enterprise_'s with a similar layout and warp engine, but instinctively, he knew it wasn't his engine room. The only other place he knew that was anywhere close to _Enterprise_'s was-

"Bridge to Commander Tucker!" He started at the strident feminine tone out of the speakers. It belonged to Erika Hernandez. His body reacted before his brain caught up; he went over and hit the comm button.

"Tucker."

"Trip, we've received a distress call from _Enterprise_. We need maximum warp as soon as possible."

_Wait a minute. Didn't this just happen? _Again, his response was automatic. "_Enterprise_'s in trouble? Gimme a minute and you'll have warp. Tucker out."

He felt another sense of disorientation, then found himself in front of the status screen again. He blinked and looked around to see his regular crew all around him, attending to their duties. Trip saw movement out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned, no one was behind him.

"Rostov!"

"Here, Commander!" called Rostov, from the upper level of Engineering. "Is there a problem, sir?"

Trip thought fast. "Just checkin' to make sure everything looks okay from where you are."

"We're holding steady at Warp five. Everything looks good so far."

"Lemme know if the variance goes to point five either way and I'll tell Travis to let up on the gas."

"Will do, sir!"

Trip shook his head again and thought, _That was weird. For a minute, I really thought I _was _back on _Columbia. _That's not possible. Then again, I've been to different universes and different time zones before. _Anything _is possible._

He just hoped the universe wasn't in trouble. Again.


	2. Clobbered by a Crate

Trip sees a familiar scenario, and ends up in a familiar-yet-not-familiar universe. Why is this phenomenon centered on _Columbia_? We get some important clues in this chapter.

OCs: Lt (j.g.) Birkenwald is from my stories "A Klingon and an Englishman Go into a Bar" and "Five Weddings (and a Funeral for my Sanity"). Ensign Neal Campbell is from "Voices of Treachery".

In "Trip and the Terrific TARDIS", Trip and Malcolm visit an alternate universe where A.G. Robinson is alive and Jon Archer is a famed diplomat and negotiator for the United Earth Coalition. (Trip met Captain Jack Harkness on Risa). Keep that in mind during this story.

* * *

**Relative Time**

**September 4, 2156**

**Enterprise NX-01**

_Enterprise _hurtled through space at warp 6, thanks to Trip's coaxing of the engines. He watched the warp matrix with the intensity of a hawk. Rostov and Hess appeared with constant cups of coffee, while Ensign McIntyre appointed himself as Mess Hall runner for the entire department. Trip was grateful for how his people took care of each other without being asked.

"I hope the Universe doesn't get mad at us for breaking the speed limit again," Hess quipped, but there was little humor in her tone.

Trip only nodded and replied, "Yeah, me too. The Vulcans hate it when you push their equipment past their standard limits, but...sometimes, it's necessary."

Hess rested her hip on the console next to him and lowered her tone. "You okay, Boss?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You just seem even edgier than usual. I mean, I know _Columbia_'s in trouble, but there seems to be something else nagging at you. Is Commander T'Pol all right?"

His head jerked up at the question. "She's fine, Anna. It's just I got a bad feeling, like-"

"-like something big's about to happen? Or that it's already happened, but you just don't know it yet"

Trip chuckled and shook his head. Anna Hess had always been perceptive, whether it be with people or with technology. That was why he'd handpicked her to be his second-in-command. "You too, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm not the only one who's felt that way, too. Mike's Russian is getting more and more incomprehensible. Even Crewman Federovich has trouble understanding him." Hess shrugged. "Come to think of it, the guys in the Armory have been on edge too, since Lieutenant Commander Reed went back to Earth."

The uneasy feeling in Trip's stomach worsened. "I thought Johannes Birkenwald was doing a pretty good job covering for Malcolm while he's away."

"It's not about them, really. Ensign Welsh says it's just a...feeling. He can't explain it, either. Birkenwald ordered a whole battery of security drills since Reed left. Welsh complained that Johannes is becoming too much like his boss, but I don't blame him."

Trip nodded. Hess kept an ear on the ship's grapevine, since Hoshi no longer served on Enterprise and Liz Cutler was busy getting her doctorate, under Phlox's supervision. If Hess noticed strange things too, then it wasn't just his overactive imagination.

And after traveling with the Doctor, Trip knew anything was possible.

He glanced up at the status board; they were still pushing warp 6 and going steady. Trip thought, _Too bad we can't install any Gallifreyan tech into the ship. We'd be where _Columbia _is in the blink of an eye. _Then again, he'd seen the effects of introducing advanced technology in places where it shouldn't be. It was enough to give Time Agents like Daniels and Jack Harkness fits.

The lights dimmed once, twice, three times before brightening again. The status board rippled and went dark, then came up again with red numbers. Trip swore under his breath, but his engineering team had smoothly anticipated his orders. The comm beeped and he smacked the button with an open palm.

"Bridge to Engineering!"

"We got it, Cap'n. Easing back to Warp 4." The numbers on the board turned yellow, then green. Hess was already at a secondary board with Rostov and Kelby. Rostov let out a string of expletives in Russian, which Trip knew was a bad sign. Trip left his comm channel with the Bridge open; perhaps the Captain and the others might pick up a clue to their engine problems.

"Yellow alert, Mister Birkenwald."

"Aye, sir," replied the temporary Chief of Security. Trip missed hearing Malcolm's English accent.

Travis Mayweather's voice echoed in the chaos on the Bridge. "Entering the Soleja system."

Captain Archer's calm tone asked, "Any sign of _Columbia_?"

T'Pol replied, "_Columbia _is currently stationary around the third planet. Sensors are detecting faint energy traces from that vicinity. I am attempting to identify the source."

Her words pulled Trip out of the crisis in Engineering. "T'Pol, try scanning in the gamma frequencies. I'm getting some weird readings down here from the warp core. Whatever's affecting _Columbia_ might be doing the same to _Enterprise_ right now."

"Acknowledged, Commander."

Archer ordered, "All stop, Travis. Trip, what kind of readings?"

Trip glanced at his board, then to the trio of engineers at the secondary board. Kelby caught his gaze, and rolled his eyes. He turned back to the comm. "The matrix flow's pretty sluggish. It's as if the energy's suddenly thickened like molasses. I recommend going to impulse until we figure out what the hell's going on."

"Travis, you heard him. Half-impulse. Ensign Campbell, still no answer from _Columbia _or the Solejan Cabal?"

Ensign Neal Campbell answered, "No, sir. Both channels are clear. Either they can't respond, or they won't respond for some reason."

T'Pol interrupted, "Captain, I have pinpointed the source of the energy. Commander Tucker was correct in suggesting the scans in the gamma range. I've never seen anything quite like this before, but it's concentrated on the surface of the third planet, at a point directly below _Columbia's _position."

Trip's scowl deepened at her words and he said, "T'Pol, lemme see what the scans are showing you."

"Relaying the scans to you now, Commander."

His screen split into two, with the engine information on the left side and T'Pol's scans on the right. The strange energy spread from a single point on Soleja Three to encompass _Columbia. _It effectively tethered the starship to its position in space, like a towline attached to Jupiter Station. If Captain Hernandez had tried to break orbit, then the gravitational stresses would tear her ship apart.

It extended in all directions from _Columbia_ in a jagged path that ran through the entire system. Several asteroids floated between Soleja Five and Six; the brightly colored ribbon surrounded a few of them, but left the others alone. Trip narrowed his eyes at the readings. _Enterprise _had stopped short of the ribbon, but he could see tendrils reaching out for the starboard nacelle. They stopped short of it, as if blocked by an unseen barrier.

_What the hell? _He understood T'Pol's confusion. It was as if this strange phenomena was alive in some way. The energy pulsed just like a rapid heartbeat, almost too fast for him to see. There was a pattern: one, two, three, four...one, two, three, four. Was this some sort of message? A distress call? A summons? It certainly didn't look like the standard SOS code.

"Commander, we've bypassed the blockage in the warp matrix!" Hess called from across the room. "You should see a rise in energy levels from the core!"

Trip's eyes snapped towards the left side of his screen. True to her words, the readings slowly climbed up to a more normal level and stayed there. He grinned widely and glanced over his shoulder, "Good work, Anna-"

"Sir?"

Her voice echoed as if from far away. Trip stood up from his seat as the entire engine room blurred and shimmered as if he was in a transporter beam. A wave of dizziness hit him so hard that he stumbled and nearly fell to his knees. Hands caught him, supported him, then guided him back to his chair.

Another voice echoed over him, but it was not Anna Hess. "Sir? Sir? Are you all right?"

Someone else reached over him to hit the comm button. "Cargo Bay Two to Sickbay. Commander Tucker's collapsed. We need medical attention."

"Acknowledged. I'm sending Liz down right away."

_What? Cargo Bay Two? And isn't Liz out getting her doctorate?_

Even as the thought crossed his mind, Trip knew what had happened. He remembered the Ninth Doctor's words in that twisted version of an evil universe:** "When you cross universes, you absorb what is called artron energy. Any time traveler can recognize another one because of it."**

Artron energy? The strange ribbon was made out of artron energy? If that was true, then...it wasn't a ribbon after all. It was some sort of rip, some sort of tear, in the universe, centered on _Columbia _and _Enterprise_, and it was spreading.

_Oh, hell. Not again!_ He tried to hold onto consciousness, but it twisted, faded, and went out.

* * *

**Relative Time**

**September 4, 2156**

**_UEC-1701 Enterprise_**

"I think he's coming around, Captain. Be gentle with him; he hit his head pretty hard."

Trip opened his eyes to find himself staring at a dull gray ceiling. He heard an unfamiliar hum, but it was oddly soothing. Somehow, he managed to turn his head at the voice, and blinked at the woman next to his bed.

"You still with us Commander? I wish you didn't end up in here so often; I'm starting to run out of anelgesics." Liz Cutler chuckled as she placed a gentle hand on his forehead. Her long blonde hair was piled up in some high bun at the top of her head. The blue uniform placed still placed her in Sciences, but there was a snake-and-rod pin on her collar that identified her as a medic.

He blinked and muttered, "You finally got your doctorate."

She laughed and shrugged in good-natured depreciation. "Got that years ago, Commander. That crate gave you one hell of a concussion, if you're thinking you're back in the past."

"Crate? I got clobbered by a crate?"

Liz glanced over her shoulder. "Accident prone as usual. I swear, I should engrave his name on this biobed. No, don't get up-" she gently pushed Trip back onto the pillow, "-I want to make sure there isn't any lasting damage. Head injuries aren't something to joke about, especially where you're concerned."

"Stubborn as hell," agreed another voice. Trip's heart skipped a beat as he recognized it. A tall man with thinning blond hair stood directly behind Liz. He wore command yellow and black pants, with four pins on his collar. He shook his head and put a restraining hand on Trip's shoulder. "Dammit, Trip, stay still and let Doc Cutler look you over."

Trip tried to hide his shock, but failed miserably. "Captain Robinson...A.G.?"

A.G. Robinson gave Liz a humorous look. "Well, he remembers me. That's a good sign, isn't it?"

She clucked her tongue as she ran a sensor over Trip. It was about the size and shape of a salt shaker, with a whirring blue light. He knew he'd never seen this device among Phlox's meant he was hopping through universes.

Again.

Which meant the universe was in trouble.

_Again._

Which meant the Doctor needed his help.

_Again._

At least Trip was now a veteran in adapting quickly to slightly-different-yet-familiar environments. First, he had to figure out exactly when he was, where he was, and what he needed to do.

He chuckled and half-joked, "A.G., you aren't exactly hard to forget."

A.G gave him his trademark grin. "Good to know I've got that effect on people." The grin vanished as quickly as it appeared. "I need my engineer back as soon as possible. Jon's with Captain Mayweather on the _Columbia. _We're meeting them in two days. They want us to tag along on Jon's great meeting on Soleja Three. Everyone from the Cardassians to the Vulcans will be there."

Trip nodded as if he knew what A.G was talking about. _Jon Archer at an important interspecies meeting. _He had his suspicions about where he'd ended up this time, but he wanted to make damn sure before he did anything. He flinched as Liz shone a penlight into his eyes.

"I want to keep him under observation, at least for the meantime. If there aren't any ill effects from his little escapade in the Cargo Bay, I'll release him to quarters." Liz gave him the fisheye. "You're lucky a Vulcan's head is harder than yours, otherwise I'd be dealing with a cranky concussed T'Pol too. Don't worry...she's fine and on the Bridge, but she knew exactly what happened and when."

A.G rolled his eyes and said, "I've learned to look to her whenever you get yourself into trouble. She seems to know."

Trip only tapped his forehead with his index finger, which made Liz nod and chuckle. She sobered as she addressed A.G as a chief medical officer to her captain. "I'll let you know about his progress."

"Good. Stay put this time, Trip. I mean it, or I'll tell Chef to toss your pecan pie out the airlock." A.G winked, turned and went out the Sickbay door. Door, singular, and Trip noticed a rectangular light installed directly above it.

Liz misinterpreted his concern. "Yeah, I hope that red alert klaxon doesn't go off anytime soon too."


End file.
